general and internal direction of the institution, to be submitted to the Secretary of War for approval; and may do any other acts necessary for the government and interests of the same as authorised by law. The officers of the Soldiers' Home consist of a governor, a deputy-governor, and a secretary for each separate site of the Home, the latter to be also treasurer. These officers are taken from the army, and appointed or removed, from time to time, as the interests of the institution may require, by the Secretary of War, on the recommendation of the board of commissioners. For the support of the Soldiers' Home the following funds are set apart and appropriated: all stoppages or dues adjudged against soldiers by sentence of courtsmartial, over and above any amount that may be due for the reimbursement of Government or of individuals; all forfeitures on account of desertion; and all moneys belonging to the estates of deceased soldiers, which are unclaimed for the period of three years subsequent to their respective deaths, to be repaid by the commissioners of the institution upon the demand of the heirs or legal representatives of the deceased. There is deducted from the pay of every non-commissioned officer, musician, artificer, and private of the United States Army the sum of 12 cents per month, which is, by the Pay Department of the Army, passed to the credit of the commissioners of the Soldiers' Home. commissioners also receive all donations of money or property made by any person for the benefit of the institution, and hold the same for its sole and exclusive use. The deduction of 12 cents per month from the pay of non-commissioned officers, musicians, artificers, and privates of regiments of volunteers, or other corps or regiments raised for a limited

The

period or for temporary purposes, is made only with their consent. The fact that one to whom a pension has been granted for wounds or disability received in the military service has not contributed to the funds of the Soldiers' Home does not preclude him from admission therein. But all such pensioners surrender their pensions to the Soldiers' Home during the time they remain therein and voluntarily receive its benefits. The following persons, members of the Soldiers' Home, and no others, are entitled to the rights and benefits thereof :

1. Every soldier of the Army of the United States who has served honestly and faithfully twenty years in the same.

2. Every soldier and every discharged soldier, whether regular or volunteer, who has suffered by reason of disease or wounds incurred in the service and in the line of his duty, rendering him incapable of further military service, if such disability was not occasioned by his own misconduct.

3. The invalid and disabled soldiers, whether regulars or volunteers, of the war of 1812, and of all subsequent wars.

The benefits of the Soldiers' Home are not extended to any soldier in the regular or volunteer service convicted of felony or other disgraceful or infamous crimes of a civil nature after his admission into the service of the United States; nor is any one who has been a deserter, mutineer, or habitual drunkard received, without such evidence of subsequent service, good conduct, and reformation of character as is satisfactory to the commissioners. Any soldier admitted into the Soldiers' Home for disability, who recovers his health so as to become fit again for military service, if under fifty years of age, is discharged. And all persons admitted into the Home are subject to the

rules and Articles of War in the same manner as soldiers in the army.

The Commissioners of the Soldiers' Home, by and with the approval of the President, have, since the Soldiers' Home Act of 1851 was passed, procured at suitable places sites for the Home, having due regard to the health of the locations, facility of

access, and economy, and giving preference to such places as, with the most convenience and least cost, would accommodate the persons entitled to its benefit. The Soldiers' Home near Washington, District of Columbia, is a magnificent evidence of the care the United States take of their soldiers.

By the Act of 1866, the President, Secretary of War, Chief-Justice, and such others as may from time to time be associated with them, constitute a board of managers of an establishment for the care and relief of the disabled volunteers of the United States Army, known as "The National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers," and have perpetual succession, with powers to take, hold, and convey real and personal property, establish a common seal, and to sue and be sued in courts of law and equity; and to make by-laws, rules, and regulations not inconsistent with law for carrying on the business and government of the Home, and to affix penalties thereto. Nine managers of

this Home are elected from time to time, as vacancies occur, by jointresolution of Congress. They must all be citizens of the United States, and all residents of states which furnished organised bodies of soldiers to aid in suppressing the Rebellion commenced in 1861; and no two of them shall be residents of the same state, and no person who gave aid or countenance to the Rebellion shall ever be eligible. The term of office of these managers is six years, and until a successor is elected. The twelve managers elect from their own number a president, who is the chief executive officer of the board, two vicepresidents, and a secretary. Seven of the board, of whom the president

or one of the vice-presidents shall be one, form a quorum for board busi

ness.

No member of the board receives any compensation as such member, but the travelling and other actual expenses of a member, incurred while upon the business of the Home, may be paid, and any member of the board having other duties connected with the Home may receive a reasonable compensation therefor, determined by the board. The officers of the National Home consist of a governor, a deputy-governor, a secretary, and a treasurer, and such other officers as the managers deem necessary, who are appointed from disabled soldiers who served as mentioned below, and may be removed from time to time, as the interests of the institution require, by the board of managers. This board is given authority to procure from time to time, at suitable places, sites for military homes for all persons serving in the United States Army at any time in the war of the Rebellion, not otherwise provided for, who are disqualified for procuring their own support by reason of wounds received or sickness contracted while in the line of their duty during the Rebellion; and to have the necessary buildings erected, having due regard to the health of location, facility of access, and сараcity to accommodate the persons entitled to the benefits thereof. On or before the first day of August in each

cated physician, possessing competent experience in the care and treatment of the insane, and shall reside on the premises, and devote his whole time to the welfare of the institution. Subject to the approval of the visitors who are appointed by the President, and are citizens of the District of Columbia, he manages the affairs of the institution. These visitors, nine in number, hold their office, which is honorary and without compensation, for three years, and annually select one of their number to be their president. Subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, this board of visitors make any needful by-laws not inconsistent with law, and visit the hospital at stated intervals. They make annually to the Secretary of the Interior a report for the preceding fiscal year, setting forth the condition and wants of the institution.

The superintendent, upon the order of the Secretary of War, of the Secretary of the Navy, and of the Secretary of the Treasury, receives and keeps in custody, until they are cured or removed by the same authority which ordered their reception, insane persons of the following descriptions:

1. Insane persons belonging to the Army, Navy, marine corps, and rev

enue cutter service.

2. Civilians employed in the quartermaster's and subsistence departments of the Army, who may be insane while in such employment.

3. Men who, while in the service of the United States, in the Army, Navy, or marine corps, have been admitted to the hospital, and been discharged on the supposition that they had recovered their reason, and have, within three years after such discharge, become again insane from causes existing at the time of such discharge, and have no adequate means of support.

4. Indigent insane persons who have been in either of the said services and been discharged therefrom on account of disability arising from such insanity.

5. Indigent insane persons who have become insane within three years after their discharge from such service, from causes which arose during, and were produced by, said service.

All indigent insane persons residing in the District of Columbia at the time they became insane are entitled to the benefits of this hospital, and are admitted on the authority of the Secretary of the Interior, which he may grant after due process of law showing the person to be insane and unable to support himself and family, or himself if he has no family, under the visitation of insanity. The Secretary of the Interior may grant an order for the admission of any insane person not charged with a breach of the peace, when he receives the certificate of any justice of the peace of the district, and an application in writing by a member of the board of visitors, requesting that such order be issued. It must appear by this certificate that two respectable physicians, residents of the district, appeared before the judge or justice, and deposed in writing, sworn to and subscribed by them, that they know the person alleged to be insane; that from personal examination they believe such person to be in fact insane and a fit subject for treatment in said hospital; and that said person was a resident of the district at the time he or she was seized with the mental disorder under which he or she then laboured. And it must further appear by the certificate that two respectable householders, residents of the district, appeared before the judge or justice and deposed in writing, sworn to and subscribed by them, that they

knew the person alleged to be insane, and that from a personal examination of his or her affairs, they believed such person to be unable, under the visitation of insanity, to support himself or herself and family, in case such person have a family, or to support himself or herself alone, in case such person have no family, and unable to pay his or her board and other expenses in the hospital. The affidavit of the physicians and householders shall accompany the certificate of the judge or justice of the peace. The application by a

member of the board of visitors must be made within five days after the date of the affidavits, and it must appear therein that the visitor had inspected the affidavits and certificate. It is the duty of such visitor to withhold his application, if he has reason to doubt the indigence of the party in whose behalf the application is desired, until his doubt is removed by satisfactory testimony. The order of the Secretary of the Interior, granted upon the certificate of a judge or justice and the application of a member of the board of visitors, authorises any public officer or constable to assist in carrying such indigent insane person to the hospital whenever such assistance is represented to be necessary by the person holding the order; but all the expenses of witnesses before the judge or justice of the peace, and of carrying the patient to the hospital, are borne by his friends or by the local authorities of the district.

Whenever it appears in the case of any insane person whose insanity commenced while he was a resident of the District of Columbia, that he is able to defray a portion, but not the whole, of the expenses of his support and treatment in the Government Hospital for the Insane, the board of visitors is authorised to inquire into the facts of the case; and if it

Any

appears to the board upon such inquiry that the insane person has property and no family, or has more property than is required for the support of his family, then, as a condition upon which the insane person, admitted upon the order of the Secretary of the Interior, shall receive or continue to receive the benefits of the hospital, there shall be paid to the superintendent from the income, property, or estate of such insane person, such portion of his expenses in the hospital as a majority of the board shall determine to be just and reasonable under the circumstances. indigent person who did not reside in the district at the time he became insane may, in like manner, upon the certificate of a judge or justice, and the application of a member of the board of visitors, be admitted into the hospital upon the application of the governor of the district, and at the expense of the district during the continuance of such insane person therein, it being designed to give the superintendent thereof authority to take charge of such insane person until the governor can discover who his friends are, or whence he came, with a view to the return of such person to his friends, or to the place of his residence, and thus relieve the district of the expense and charge of such indigent insane non-resident. If any person charged with crime is found, in the court before which he is so charged, to be insane, the court certifies the same to the Secretary of the Interior, who may order such person to be confined in the hospital; and, if he is not indigent, he and his estate shall be charged with expenses of his support therein. And any person becoming insane during the continuance of his sentence in the United States penitentiary has the same privilege of treatment in the hospital during the continuance of his mental disorder as is granted to per